


Mission Compromised

by ReptileRuler



Series: PRaZ FebuWhump [9]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: (implied) - Freeform, Angst, Dib Being an Asshole (Invader Zim), Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, The Almighty Tallest Being Assholes (Invader Zim), Vivisection, Zim is in Denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:08:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29310081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReptileRuler/pseuds/ReptileRuler
Summary: Zim contacts his Tallest after having escaped the grasp of human scientists.Febuwhump DAY 9: ALT 4: identity reveal
Series: PRaZ FebuWhump [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137614
Comments: 11
Kudos: 34
Collections: febuwhump 2021





	Mission Compromised

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you look at the tag warnings before you decide to read. This one's heavy on the angst y'all.

It was a normal day (as far as ‘days’ existed for a race that lacked a circadian rhythm) aboard the Massive when a distress signal came in to help-desk. The Irken on the receiving end saw its origin - exile Zim’s PAK on planet earth - and promptly ignored it. After all, who cared if some asshole exile died on some backwater planet.

The signal was soon forgotten, only ever seen by a single person who sorted it out as unimportant, and life moved on. Snacks were eaten. Planets were blown up simply for being a color that Tallest Purple didn’t vibe with. Parties were held in acknowledgement of successful invaders.

Days, possibly weeks later, a different transmission came in.

  
  


Zim stood in the cockpit of his VOOT cruiser, his trembling hands gripping the blanket he had over his shoulders. It was the only thing he wore. 

“My Tallest”, he sighed in relief when his dearest leaders appeared on screen. They were not on the main deck of the Massive, but rather in a smaller transmission room somewhere on their ship. Both of them stared at him, eyes wide. 

“Zim?” Red said, “you look… bad…”

Zim was aware of this, of course. It was unthinkable to be out of uniform in front of the Tallest, but all he had was the blanket. They couldn't see the scars on his chest with how he’d wrapped it around himself, though, but he imagined that he didn’t have the most healthy complexion right now, either.

“My apologies, my Tallest, I”, he took a deep breath, “I- my mission was compromised. My disguise failed me. They found me and they- they-”

Shivers wrecked his form. It took all he had just to keep standing in front of his Tallest.

“They captured me. They did, th-things, and- but not to worry! Zim has escaped, now, so-”

He smiled, a little desperately, and looked up at them. The Tallest had matching expressions of shock and intrigue. He attempted to smile even wider. He wanted to assure them that everything was all right now, but his voice had suddenly gotten stuck in his noise tube somehow.

“What did they do to you?” Purple asked. He had an expression of morbid curiosity, a face that Zim had gotten too familiar with underneath the gazes of Dib and all the other scientist humans that-

He willed himself to imagine that Purple looked concerned for him.

“They. V-vivi… Vvvv-” He fought against something rising within him. His PAK told him he was still in danger, even though he’d escaped the planet and was currently safer than he’d ever been. All he needed to do was answer his Tallest. He’d gotten a direct question! He had to answer!

“Just show us”, Purple said.

Zim froze, his stuttering ceasing. He gripped his blanket tighter.

“Zim?” Red said. His voice was soft and gentle. Zim clung onto it. “Do what he asks.”

They were just being concerned. They just wanted to see so that they could decide on a just punishment for the humans that dared to touch Zim!

His breath shook as he dropped the blanket.

Standing naked and vulnerable before the gaze of his most redeemed leaders felt, while not as painful as being vivisected, absolutely just as terrifying. He tried in vain to stop himself from trembling like an earthen leaf in the wind. 

“Wow”, Red said with his eyes wide.

“Looks painful”, Purple whistled, “Look, he must’ve been completely cut open!”

“Does earth even have functional anesthetics for an Irken?”

Zim shook his head violently. Not thinking about the pain he’d been in while they discussed his scars was near impossible.

“Mmm. Wonder if they touched his organs. Pulled ‘em out and looked ‘em over. Maybe they took photos. Oh, or maybe they just drew it. Earth is primitive, right? Do they have cameras or do they have to draw everything? I forget.” Purple looked to Zim for an answer. He opened his mouth to tell him, but all that came out was a whine. 

“Pur. You’re morbid”, Red said. 

“Hey, if Zim was in pain I wanna know all about it”, Purple replied easily. Certainly so that he could get proper revenge on the humans, Zim thought as he hugged himself. Treacherous tears were forcing their way out of his eyeballs. He cursed his own weakness. He cursed his lost uniform. He cursed his PAK for still filling him with adrenaline and panic and fear.

“I get what you mean, but you’re still way too excited about this. Oh, Zim, I think you can put your blanket back on again”, Red said. Zim sobbed in gratitude as he bent down to take his blanket and wrap it around himself.

“Where are you now?” Red continued.

“I-I’m in deep space. I escaped, but they took… GIR”, new tears spilled at that, “and my base is compromised, but I got my ship back, so-”

“You have a mission”, Red interrupted. Zim jumped. The tone was no longer patient or soft, but rather the commanding voice that Red used when he spoke to his soldiers. “Are you giving up on your Invader mission, Zim?”

“Of course not!” he looked up in fear. “I just need to regroup! A new SIR unit! A base Computer! With new equipment, I can re-return and invade that filthy planet for you, my Tallest!” And then they could hunt down and kill every last human together. He could have his revenge, and he could get GIR back, and then his PAK would stop telling him to be afraid. 

His Tallest looked at him, both with their lips pressed together into tight frowns.

“Request denied”, Red said.

“I- what?” He couldn’t believe his hearing canals. Denied? But, he’d been so close to taking over the planet once and for all!

“Go back to your rock-pile. No new equipment. Get your own stuff back, or die trying, I guess”, Red shrugged, “just don’t come back to Irk.”

“But-”

“You heard him, Zim!” Purple snapped, looking bored already.

More tears fell. Thick enough that he couldn’t even see his Tallest’s faces on the transmission screen. 

“... Y-yes, my Tallest”, he said as his world crumbled around him. 

He was going to die. 

“Invader Zim, signing off.”


End file.
